darkest-topia
by white1498
Summary: A rabbit who joined an archeological dig will soon find that the mire is far more than it seems on the surface and how will this rabbit survive what waits for him in the mire. please review, favorite and follow.
1. Chapter 1

"Enter unto the unknown with the torch, but beware of those who are unknown and draw the blood of the scholar." -unknown

Three trucks drove into a village stopping in front of a building that was once a stagecoach station. A door opened on the lead truck and out stepped a wolf. The wolf looked around and sniffed before completely exiting the truck. "Alright everyone let's get this dig started." Says the wolf before it headed to the second truck to retrieve something. The doors on all the trucks opened and out came several mammals, however, most of them were wolfs.

"Ahh, smell that clean ruins air." Asks a wolfess to a rabbit. "Ya its great shame we're here only for dig up artifacts of a long-dead species…" says the rabbit before looking to the wolfess, "…what was the name of the species again homans." Asks the rabbit before going to also retrieve his working gear. "It's human, not human, silly rabbit." Says the wolfess going to get her own dig gear. "Sorry, it's just…" says the rabbit before gesturing to the surrounding ruins," …ya know it's not every day that a new ruin of a dead race is found especially when most of them have been picked clean of artifacts." Says the rabbit now retrieving his gear. "I know but…" says the wolfess now with her own gear in paw she bends down to the rabbit, "…I have a _very_ big surprise for my husband when I get back." Says the wolfess trying and failing to tap the tip of her nose.

"Alright everyone you know the drill we'll start closest to camp and work our way up to the ruined manor on the cliff." Says the wolf standing on top of a truck bed. "Sure boss…" says a rabbit who looks to the wolf with minor disdain, "…that is if you don't go feral on us." Says the rabbit under his breath setting up his workstation for cleaning artifacts. A rabbit walks up to him and nudges him with his elbow, "C'mon jack, the night howler crisis is over and we came prepared with tranquilizer rounds and antidote to cure anyone who encounters that flower…" says the rabbit before he leans into the other rabbits' ear, "…don't tell me that your afraid of the fact the leader of this little escapade is a wolf now." Says the rabbit with a smug grin on his face. "It's not that…" says jack before he looks around, "…it's just that I feel like we're all being watched." Says the rabbit looking around to see only ruins and the dig crew.

However, on a rooftop where none of them can see is a tiny, white lamb with a mask and bow and with it a black wolf also with a mask but with sharp claws and teeth. "Little lamb do you see what I see." asks the wolf looking over to several species taking tools and boxes from metal carriages. "Indeed, I do wolf…" says lamb looking in the same direction as the wolf, "…new inhabitants to the mire, but that gives a new question…" says lamb looking to her bow, "…are they here to rebuild, loot or reclaim the mire and if not, are they running from something from beyond the mire." Says lamb returning her gaze to the new comber's campsite. "I say we attack and rend their flesh from their bones then eat their bones and afterwards eat their flesh, lamb." Says the wolf look at his claws to judge their sharpness. "Now, now wolf there will be time for that…" says lamb taking her hand and scratching a spot between the wolfs ears," ... but right now we must wait and see what they do…" says lamb before she stopped scratching between the black wolfs ears, "… for now." Says lamb getting up and jumping down to the ground before being followed by the black wolf. "Very well lamb…" says wolf before walking in a seemingly random direction, "…I shall wait." Says the wolf before he faded into the shadow of the lamb. "Fore we are one of the…" says the lamb before the lambs' voice became double toned with wolfs voice mixed into it, "…KINDRED." Says the lamb while walking to a bell tower in the center of the ruined hamlet.

Several hours later

"Ugh, I wish the city would let us bring a bigger crew." Says wolf who then picks up a bag and makes his way to a well. "I hope the water here is still drinkable. "says the wolf before taking a still semi-intact bucket from beside the well and tossing it down into the well before a slunk. "please don't let there be mud…" says the wolf pulling up the bucket to just to see there is only mud in it, "…and there is only mud…" says the wolf before turning and waking to a ruined building, "…just great." Says the wolf sarcastically and one he reaches the building he pulls out a flashlight and turns it on. "Well, might as well start my search for artifacts here at the blacksmiths." Says the wolf starting to look for any artifacts that might be salvageable.

Several minutes later the wolf opens a cupboard to find a book. "Well it's not exactly what I'm looking for but it will have to do." Says the wolf before he places the book into his bag before turning around to head to camp.

However, known to him another was watching him. "So, one has finally found the Forge Tome." Says the creature watching over the wolf as he left the blacksmith shop. "The priestess will want to know this." Says the creature before vanishing into the shadows to return to its leader.

Meanwhile several miles away at the same time

"Hmm, so life still flourishes outside of the mire…" says a deep voice looking into an orb of black fire. "Ha ha ha, looks like I will need to build up an army and conquer the world outside the mire." Says the voice before the room goes dark.

Meanwhile back at the camp

"C'mon jack…" says a rabbit to his companion, "… do you really need to carry around wolf repellant." Says the rabbit holding up a spray canister. "Hey, you never know when you might need wolf repellant especially when inside of an old ruined settlement of a long-dead race." Says jack who takes back the wolf repellant. "ugh, fine…" says the rabbit crossing its arms, "…just what's it even made from." Asks the rabbit who goes to get his own digging equipment. "Let's see…" says jack who looks to the manufacturing details on the side of the canister, "…skunk musk, jalapeno-ghost pepper extract concentrated, and dried rabbit blood." Says jack as he read the label. The other rabbit stops what it's doing and looks to jack and asks, "really…dried rabbit blood." "Dried rabbit blood is known to block a predator's sense of smell rather effectively." Says jack who finished setting up his workstation and is now waiting for artifacts to work with. "Whatever jack…" says the rabbit who turns toward a building that resembles a bank, "…I'm going to go see about finding human currency." Says the rabbit before leaving to a building that was probably a bank at one time.

The rabbit enters the building and begins his search for the ancient, golden currency of the humans. Several minutes of searching later and nothing but a vault door is found. "ugh, great…" says the rabbit looking to the vault door, "…I have to go get a cutting torch." Says the rabbit before he walks off back to camp to get a cutting torch. When the rabbit returns with a cutting torch he notices that there is a faint lingering scent of blood in the air. "Hugh, guess something wounded crawled in here as well…" says the rabbit reaching the vault door and lighting the torch and focusing the flame to a blue hue, "… oh well, it's probably dead by now." Says the rabbit as he starts to cut away at the vault door. After several minutes of cutting off bits of the vault door until there is a hole large enough for the rabbit to just walk through. "There now that I have an entrance…" says the rabbit before turning off the cutting torch and placing it down and entering the vault to see massive stacks of twenty-four karat gold coins, "…I can retrieve the treasure in this ancient vault." Says the rabbit looking over the gold coins in the vault.

However, unbeknownst by the rabbit, the smell of blood wasn't coming from a dead animal but a group of very much alive blood-red wolfs. "New, fresh blood this is promising." Says a female who is looking to the hole in the metal door. "Yes, it is sister…" says another female looking to the cutting torch, "… but we must gather the packs fore the others are showing greater resistance after each of our raids on them." Says the female turning to look at the hole in the metal door. "We follow the small, grey thing to its home then we tell mother." Says a male looking at the hole in the metal door. "Agreed." Says both of the females who continue to watch the hole for the small, grey thing to leave and return to its home.

A short time later the small grey thing comes out of the hole and picks up the flaming torch and leaves. The three blood-red wolfs follow the small, grey thing to its home. When they see its home, they see grey versions of themselves but with stuff on them. "Who are they." Asks the male eyeing them for any sign of leadership. "Are they a lost pack." Asks a female who is looking to them with eyes trying to pick up on a conversation from their camp. "They must be a lost pack but that raises another question…" says the other female who looks for a female from among the group of other wolfs, "… where did they come from." Says the female who turns toward the male. "We know their location…" says the male before turning around and leaving, "… we just need to tell the mother so all will know to what to do now that new creatures are coming to the mire." Says the male before running away on all fours toward the weald.

The following day at the camp

A wolf came out of a tent and breathed in before letting out a deep sigh. "Well, good morning everyone." Says the wolf even though no one else was up. The wolf goes and starts a fire and starts to cook. "Alright, a vegetable and fruit meal for the bunnies while the fish and chicken goes to the wolfs." Says the wolf as he cooks the food in two separate caste iron skillets over the fire with a kettle of coffee also over the fire.

A few minutes later the rest of the crew start to appear out of the tents to get food and talk about idle things such as weather and how each other is doing out in the middle of nowhere. After eating everyone heads off to perform their tasks from searching for artifacts, cleaning, cataloging and packing them away in wooden boxes awaiting transport back to the city and so this was how things went for the next weeks with the expedition dig until one day. "Alright, we need to address the elephant in the room." Says jack over breakfast. "What elephant." Says one of the rabbits who's reading a book. Jack glares at the rabbit who doesn't even look away from their book, "what I mean is that weird stuff is going on figures moving in the shadows, lights appearing just to fade away seconds later, heck even some of the food is going missing…" says jack who's pointing at the provisions truck, "…how is no one else noticing this." Says jack looking around at everyone.

"Actually, jack we did notice that but…" says a wolf who gestures to their surroundings, "…we're in unexplored territory so it's only natural for our minds to play tric-," says the wolf before the side of his throat bursts with blood as is splatters those sitting next to him and he falls to the ground clutching the wound trying to stop the bleeding. While several military-style trucks enter the camp side and out hops soldiers who train their weapons on the dig crew as snipers appear from around the corners of buildings. A door opens on one of the trucks and out steps a tiger in green fatigues while smoking a cigar.

"So, this is the fabled mire…" Says the tiger before smirking, "… and I must thank you for collecting all the artifacts in the hamlet…" says the tiger taking a drag from his cigar before exhaling. "We'll be taking a visit to the farmstead next to the next area for the sake of collecting the more mystic artifacts." Says the tiger before looking to the bell tower. " And someone get a magnum rifle and sidearm…" Says the tiger who then looks to the wolf who is trying to keep from bleeding out, "…and tend to the wolf…" says the tiger before being handed a rifle and pistol while a medic tended to the wounded wolf, "…I will need you to collect the artifacts after all." Says the tiger before everyone entered their respective vehicle. The dig crew in their trucks between the military trucks leading the team to their next dig site whether or not they want to dig there.


	2. Chapter 2

"Enter unto the unknown in search of the lost, but always go ready to defend and kill." -unknown

Meanwhile at the bell tower with the kindred

The kindred watched the newcomers where surrounded and forced into their metal carriages. "What an unexpected twist to this story that we watch," says lamb as she consumes a nearly dead spirit berry. "Not enough blood…" says wolf who finishes eating a deerlope, "… that wolf-thing should have died for the hunt," says wolf who then looks to lamb. "Lamb, …" says wolf before he sniffs the air, "…I smell a shift in the air…" says wolf before he takes another sniff, "…and with it a shift in the hunts of all kindred," says wolf with a growl at the end. "I know dear wolf…" says lamb feeling the wind suddenly shift direction, "…new hunts are coming and…" says lamb before she snatches a leaf in mid-air before looking at it then moving it to her left ear as if listening to it speaking, "…we must ensure only one very special venison lives to shift the threads of fate, wolf," says lamb letting the leaf go and turns towards the carriages leaving the hamlet. "And if we don't save this venison," asks wolf also looking to the carriages. "Then our hunts shall come to an end with nothing left to eat or to hunt," says lamb starting to walk towards the carriages. "Well, then…" says wolf walking alongside lamb, "…we simply must make sure our hunts never end and retrieve this venison from the stripped-thing and its false hunters," says wolf getting ready to run. "Agreed," says lamb before she takes off running after the carriages with wolf not far away in front of her.

Meanwhile in an unknown village

The creature from the hamlet runs through a village toward a very old temple dedicated to many long-forgotten gods and goddesses. It ran inside and as it approaches another creature it bows down to a creature in robes of pale silver and blue cloth. "Speak scout…" says the robed creature before turning around to look upon the scout, "… why have you returned from the ruined hamlet of mankind…" says the robed creature in a calm tone with something hidden underneath, "… without permission from the closest outpost," asks the robed creature with a less than pleased tone in its voice. "My priestess outsiders from beyond the mire have appeared in the ruined hamlet…" says the scout still not looking to its priestess, "… what should we do." Says the scout not wanting to say a question to its priestess. The priestess raises its hand to rest its head on its knuckles in a manner of thinking before speaking, "call for the Mire Counsel to assemble these newcomers must be decided upon by the mire as a whole, not the select few." "Yes, my priestess…" says the scout before raising and gazing upon its priestess with wonder, "…you are truly the only vicor half-blood who knows what to do and your will shall be done." Says the scout vicor before getting turning around and dashing off to convey its priestess's orders.

"I wonder…" says the priestess looking over her shoulder to a far, far larger form that laid behind her, "… will these newcomers submit to the law of the Mire Council…" says the vicor priestess before looking to a tome of laws to her right, "…or will they resist and be eaten." Says the vicor priestess before looking to her left with the skulls of various creatures lining the wall before once more returning to looking at the larger form. "Only time and their dreams shall tell the truth of what they plan to do." Says the larger form that laid in the shadows.

From all over Mire Moor the council assembled in the ruined manor to discuss what is to be done about the newcomers.

"I say we kill and eat the ones who drew first blood," says a black furred wolf with black mist coming off it.

"I agree all that blood wasted…" says a blood red wolf who scoffs before continuing, "…its simply uncouth to let such food go to waste," finishes the blood red wolf who looks to the misty, black-furred wolf with agreement in its eyes.

"I say we drive them out of mire moor because they don't belong here," says a short, orange-crème colored creature who looks to be a mix of otter and weasel.

"They disturbed our hunts…" says a black wolf with a white lamb mask before it snarled, "…we should hunt them down and make them suffer," finishes the wolf before another spoke. "Now, wolf you know the rules of the hunt…" says an ashen white lamb wearing a black mask shaped to be a wolf with two blade scabbards just above its butt, "… we may only hunt those who are about to die and deserve to die in a manner befitting how they lived in life," finishes the lamb before starting to scratch a spot between the wolfs ears and the wolf began to settle down.

"I say we launch an expedition to beyond mire moor to find their lands then raze them to the ground," said a figure who was cloaked in shadow, but wear plate armor and sat in the darkest corner of the council chamber.

After thirty minutes of arguing over what to do the doors opened and all shouting stopped and it became deathly silent. In came a female in her priestess attire that consisted of a cloth wrap around her large breasts, a loincloth wrap, and a staff that bore a metallic wolf head with antlers. The female looked around before making her way around the council chamber to an empty seat making sure that all saw her long, flowing, white hair that went down to the back of her knees with wolf-like ears poking out, pale crème white skin, a pair of white fade to red tipped wings sprouting from her back and a white fade to red tipped tail that swooshed as if demanding total silence from all that were in the room. When she got to the empty seat, she sat in it then spoke, "I trust you all know why I called this council meeting."

"Yes, vicor priestess it's about the newcomers who came from beyond mire moor." Says the blood red wolf with about fear in its voice.

"Good, now have you all come up with _any_ solutions that _don't_ involve killing then eating, hunting then killing, or razing their lands." Says the vicor priestess who looks to each member of the council. "(sigh) _Does anyone have any idea_ _what should be done_ , please." Says the vicor priestess who is now laying her head on her hands.

The lamb masked wolf looks to the wolf masked lamb who only nodded then the wolf spoke, "vicor priestess…" says the wolf and the vicor priestess looks over to the wolf before she gestured for it to continue, "…we have smelled, felt and heard a shift in the winds and all that change will come from _one_ creature from the newcomers …" says the wolf before the lamb continue, "… but this one creature will shift the hand fate has dealt to our world fore the sleeper and the bloodied court are the only dangers that remain from the time humanity ruled the world with impunity." Finishes the lamb and the entire council came to the exact same conclusion: the world is in danger of the sleeper waking up or the gate to the court being opened.

"All in favor of **_complete mobilization to safeguard the sleeper and the court_** , say aye," says the vicor priestess raising her hand and saying aye followed by the entire council doing the same. "Motion passes unanimously." Says the vicor priestess who then looks to the lamb and wolf, "kindred, I… we need you to delay the intruders long enough for fortifications to be built at the gates of the two most dangerous entities in mire moor…" says the vicor priestess looking pleadingly at the kindred, "…can we count on you to do that." Says the vicor priestess unsure if the paired creatures would send their own to delay the intruders.

"Yes, we will, vicor priestess." Says kindred who got up and left to gather their forces and delay the intruders from the gates.

"And with that, this meeting is adjourned and let's rally our forces." Says the vicor priestess who got up and left followed by the rest of the council.

With the meeting of the council concluded all of the natives to mire moor that could rallied their armies to defend or delay the intruders from reaching and opening either one of the two gates that held back the sleeper at the old farmstead or the crimson court at the old courtyard near the manor.

Meanwhile with the convoy with a special rabbit

Jack watched as the trees went by not even listen to the rabbit who was panicking next to him. "I can't believe it a foreign power would attack us even though we have nothing we can use to defend ourselves…" says the rabbit who's having a panic attack, "…we're archologies, not soldiers." Finishes the rabbit before repeating what it said before over and over until an arrow made of silver light pierced the windshield killing the driver. The truck swerved and crashed into a tree.

Jack awoke to the sound of gunfire, the smell of iron come from the rabbit next to him. Jake looking to his left and saw that the rabbit next to him had a bloody nose and was unconscious, but alive looking to the driver and the front passenger both were dead. Unbuckling his seatbelt and the rabbit next to him, Jake opened his door and started to drag the other rabbit out of the truck. With the soldiers distracted with the fighting of an unseen foe jack ran over to the other two archeological trucks to find that all passengers were dead. "(sigh) Well, I guess they won't mind if I loot them for supplies and equipment." Whispers Jack who starts to loot the bodies of his team and the trucks. Once finished Jake made his way back to the unconscious rabbit. Picking up the rabbit Jack started to make his way further into the forest until eventually, the sound of gunfire ceases and Jake finds a presumably empty burrow to rest in.

Entering the burrow Jake finds two very old beds and a table. Jake places the unconscious rabbit on one of the beds before placing the salvaged supplies and equipment on the table before he takes inventory. "Alright, we have," says jack laying out the supplies and equipment before he starts to organize them and found that there were: one set if tools for tinkering, a dice and playing card set, a flute, herbalism kit, a poisoner's kit, a set of lock picks, a shovel/pick, a lantern, two trinkets from the dig, two two-individual tents, a rusty knife (butt has a hole, a tattered cloth as a grip and a rusted, chipped blade), a well-worn flintlock pistol(barrel is held in place with a cloth thickly wrapped several times over and under the barrel), a worn overcoat( really well-worn overcoat being held together by several patches that were sown over several holes in the overcoat), twelve rations, six bandage rolls, eight torches, and two rolls of firewood.

"Alright so this is all I managed to get…" says jack before looking at his own clothes, "…well I may never hear the end of it but I personally am not equipped for woodland survival." Says jack before putting on the overcoat and taking the pistol, two rations, a roll of bandages, a torch and a knife jack exists the burrow to go back to the convoy to get more supplies and to search for additional dig members who _may have_ survived the attack.

At the ruined convoy with jack hopps

Objective: Search five containers and get supplies, search for other dig members that are still alive

Jack arrived at the ruined convey and upon arrival is attacked by a red wolf who slashes at jack who barely dodged the attack. Jack fires the pistol at point blank and badly wounds the wolf who then makes an attempt to grab jack. Again, jack dodged the wolf and deeply cuts the wolf across its upper left leg which causes the wolf to drop to its hands. The wolf attempts to bite jack who raises is left arm and the wolf latches on to jacks' arm before letting go just for jack to slash open the wolfs throat just for the wolf to keel over. Now with the red wolf dead jack looks at the bite wound and its not bleeding. "Well guess who ever I just killed didn't get that deep…" says jack before he looks over to the wolf, "…(sigh) I may not like looting the dead but I have to get supplies," says jack starting to search the wolf.

Loot Found: thirty gold, trinket

Jack places the gold coins into a pocket, but looks intently at the trinket. "hugh, guess there's some local superstition about trinkets…" says jack picking up the trinket just to feel slower, but at the same time better protected, "…but there maybe some lore about these things." Says jack before putting away just to feel less protected, but now faster. Jack not wanting to think about the trinket to much sets out to find the supplies he needs.

Jack searching the area he was presently in and found it had no containers to search and so jack left the area to go to the next one. Jack walking down a corridor-like path just found himself looking at a naked sheep with a mask on a bow and two empty scabbards just above its butt, and next to the sheep a naked wolf on all fours also with a mask on. The sheep had the bow drawn and pointed at a wolf who was surrendering just for the sheep to release the arrow and kill the surrendering wolf. "Fangmore, may you find peace in oblivion." Says the sheep for it and the wolf disappear without a trace. Jack crawling out went to the wolf and closed his eyes. "W-what did I just witness that sheep and wolf perform," asks jack before he began his search. Jack found two supply creates opening them he found several boxes of supplies putting the boxes into the overcoat jack set off down a corridor that went north.

In the corridor, Jack found a campsite that was still warm. Searching the campsite jack found additional firewood that was then stuffed into the coat. Jack now having searched the camp went on to the next area to find several other members of the dig he thought were dead fighting several red wolfs with a black one seemingly acting as the leader.

Jack took out his unlit torch and using the spark from the flintlock lit the torch and smashed the flame against the side of the black wolf. Stunned and surprised the black wolf couldn't react in time before jack landed a deadly slash across the black wolfs' neck causing the black wolf to choke on it blue ichor. Jack not letting the color of the black wolfs blood distract him took the pistol and shot one of the red wolfs also killing it and with his arrival and kills turned the tide of the fight. Jack not wanting to stop until the others were safe joined the fight until the last wolf was dead.

Four new members joined the party

Giza Hope, Dolorr Hope, Weif Grey, and Scarlet Snow

Giza looks to the rabbit who helped them to see its jack. "J-Jack, oh, it's so good to finally see a friendly face in that place." Says Giza who runs up and hugs jack. "ya, its good to see you guys to but we have bigger problems to deal with first…" says jack freeing himself from Gizas' hug, "… do you guys know were any more supplies are and if there are other survivers of the convey attack." Asks jack just for scarlet to answer, "We have supplies here…" says scarlet gesturing toward four supply crates that have yet to be opened, "…but as for any other survivers we searched and we're the only ones who seem to have survived the attack." Says scarlet who looks down at her paws.

"It'll be alright but right now we need to search these crates and get back to the burrow I found." Says jack and they all open and search the crates with jack doing the dead bodies and then follow jack back to the burrow he's using. On the way back jack found three bags containing one thousand gold coins each and all three bags were atop two books that were wrapped in a cloak.

Mission reward

Three thousand gold, the tome of trinkets, caution cloak, survival guide

Loot

thirty gold, protection stone, two rations, one bandage

quirks and afflictions

Jack Hopps: wolf hater

Giza Hope: fearful, Cynophobia

Dolorr Hope: Cynophobia

Weif Grey: Cynophobia

Scarlet Snow: wolf hater

At the burrow

Once jack and friends returned to the burrow and entered jack saw that the rabbit he dragged to the burrow was crying into its arms. "Sorry, about the place but I needed a place to set up in." says jack who placed the stuff he was carrying onto the middle table with the other items on it.

"It's alright, Jack." Says Dolorr placing the stuff he was carrying next to the table. "We have to make do with what we've been dealt." Says Dolorr looking around the burrow for something.

"I just-" says jack before being cut off by Giza, "Jack, it's alright none of us could ever have planed for an attack by the tigur republic in such a historically important area." True, but that raises the question of way…" Says jack before looking to the others and continuing, "…why attack an archeological dig if you want the artifacts and trinkets we recover from the area." Says jack before the rabbit who was crying started to scream and point to the entrance of the burrow.

Everyone looked to the entrance just to see a naked sheep and wolf. "Jack Hopps…" says the sheep before the wolf spoke in a gruff tone, "…we must speak with you."

darkest codex

Cynophobia: will stressout and go into a panic around wolfs.

wolf hater: will attack with greater visoisness at wolfs.

fearful: will run at the first sign of defeat.

a/n: sorry if this may seem rushed but my warhammerXrwby crossover has hit a writer blockade so I'll be working mostly on Darkest-topia for the time being and if you (the reader) have any ideas on how the story should go or just critique then leave a review and yes I really do read every review that's posted on my stories because I care that much about your thoughts on any given story.


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